Winter Study Abroad Programs in Japan

One hell of an adventure! Japan felt like a roller coaster and it’s definitely hit a good spot doing my first travel to Japan not a busy city like Tokyo or Osaka. Sapporo was amazing and I loved my school a lot. The teaching was pretty smooth and the activities were my favorite. Be back in Japan soon. Peace

My time in Hokkaido was good and my Japanese improved a lot. Back in January I went for a month and wanted to explore Hokkaido. The school and instructors made the whole trip worth it. Japanese classes were interactive and events a lot of fun. Recommend.

I’ve had sooo much fun in Hokkaido and learned the hidden fun up north. The snow activities were much fun. I loved the snow hiking we did to mount moiwa and also the ice festivals they took us to in Sapporo. The classes were fun and instructors paid a lot of attention to maintain an interactive and engaging lessons. Can’t wait to visit again!

Couldn't ask for more, would never thought it to be this way. I had an amazing time with friends in my absolute dream country and going up North during the Winter season is a MUST when visiting Japan! The snow festival was so much fun and the powder snow is another level. Besides the social events I had so much time with the Japanese lessons and the very welcoming instructors. My favorite thing was I did not have homework to do :-P

I stayed 4 weeks in winter course and it was really nice experience. Japanese classes was good and not too hard, teachers very kind. I liked the small class size. Best part was winter activities. We go ice festival, very beautiful with big snow statues. Also mountain hiking was cold but amazing view. Hot spring after that was perfect, very relaxing. I meet many people from different countries and we enjoy together. Even a fellow Hungarian and a few Austrians! Food also very good, especially Miso ramen in cold weather. I want come back again maybe longer time :)

I always had a fable for Japan’s Nordic reagion and this unique winter program was just made for. The school did a great job in organizing a variety of events and the sightseeing trips and ice festivals were magnificent. 4 weeks were not enough but it gave me a good taste about what I still have on my extended to-do list to take care of after this exciting trip. The classes were at a great pace and I never felt stressed out. I loved the communicative part of it a lot.

I spent six weeks with Meiji's winter course in Hokkaido. Studying was great, but what really made it special was everything outside the classroom. The Sapporo Snow Festival was absolutely unreal. Be prepared for huge ice sculptures with my favourite Anime characters and some crazy sculptures. I also got to try skiing and snowboarding for the first time, which was so much fun. After long days in the cold, relaxing in hot springs was honestly the best part. The only thing which was very weird for me is getting fully naked in the hot spring!! hehe We even did some winter hiking, which was peaceful and gave me a whole new appreciation for snowy landscapes you don't really get back in Australia. The balance between study and activities kept things exciting the whole time. It was easily one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had so far.

Normally I don’t really write about my experience but I think it’s worth sharing this experience for other students considering going to Japan. Please consider Winter and yes, Hokkaido should be definitely on your radar. My time was so much fun and I loved my teachers. The lessons were much focused on group practices and grammar. I like their focus on using day-to-day situations and topics by practicing Japanese, which helped me immensely. One thing I think Meiji with distance out is the activities and social parties they had. I made so many Japanese friends and had a great time. Absolutely loved it.

I went to Hokkaido for six weeks last Winter and had a blast! My instructors were super fun and very attentive to my study needs. As I have dyslexia and need special attention for reading and test practices I was relieved that the Meiji instructors took my concerns serious. At the beginning I was worried how it would turn out but it went really well and everybody was very helpful. Outside of the class there was always something happening. I often went with fellow classmates to explore more Miso Ramen places around the school. Pssst you have to make sure to check them out! The Winter activities were also so much fun. I recommend to always ask the teachers or Kai for recommendations as they are super lovely in helping out with all my queries.

I had a blast in Hokkaido last Winter with Meiji and enjoyed the Winter activities a lot! My favorite memory was the trip to Mount Moiwa and the ski gliding fun we had with Meiji students in Otaru. Can't wait to come back and meet all:(

여기 사람들 다 좋은 사람들이었습니다. 제가 운이 좋아서 좋은 학생을 만난 것도 있지만, 스탭들도 다 친절하고 좋아서 너무 즐겁게 보냈어요. 저는 일주일만 신청했는데 그 시간들이 너무 짧아서 아쉽습니다. 나중에 기회가 있다면 다시 오고 싶어요. 그때는 좀 더 길게요. 제가 있었던 장소는 5월부터 다른 장소로 옮긴다고 하는데 추억의 장소가 옮겨져서 아쉽습니다. 다음에는 다른 장소에서 추억을 남기고 싶어요.

Muy recomendable!! La gente del staff es super maja, las actividades que proponen son super entretenidas y te permiten conocer Japón de verdad. Además, en las clases aprendes mucho no solo el japonés “escrito” sino especialmente el hablado. La gente es increible, si tienes dudas, ven aqui!!! 10/10 y si tengo oportunidad volveré

It was my first time coming to Japan, and also my first time in Asia. I was extremely nervous because I didn’t know how to speak Japanese, aside from saying ‘thank you’ and ‘hello.’ Despite not speaking the language, everyone was always very kind and respectful to me. I met a lot of amazing people, who I now consider my friends. I have enjoyed every single day I’ve been here, and I would love to come back as soon as possible.

Meiji did a great job with this very well structured program and did not save on a good bunch of activities and winter sports I could engage into. I loved my classes but just found it to be a small drawback that you cannot choose between classes being scheduled either in the morning or afternoon depending of your level.

The activities, sightseeing trips, overall organization of social gatherings with fellow Japanese locals and the full hands-on support was simply top notch! I've wholeheartedly enjoyed my time with these guys and hope to visit Hokkaido again! Grazie mille!

The past three months passed by so quick. Looking back at my time here I made a lot of long lasting friendships, got really close with my host family and also planned my next steps. I did quite a unique preparation studies before starting my JET teaching program here in Hokkaido and I'm glad I did it with Meiji! This school felt more than just learning Japanese. It is my spot to get back when homesickness kicks in and the community here is really warmhearted. The best thing is even if you are a graduate you can always come back and join their social events and language exchanges. Once a Meiji student, always a Meiji student!♡

Learning Japanese in such a snowy megacity and also making friends from all around the globe was mesmerizing. I loved my instructors and the casual pace on how my classes went. The nightlife was also fun and I did get more than one opportunity to rock the mic during karaoke! lol

Studying at Meiji in Sapporo was one of the best experiences I’ve had so far. I came to improve my Japanese speaking skills and school’s focus on communication and conversation really helped. In class we practiced speaking a lot through role plays, discussions and practical situations, which made it much easier to use Japanese confidently in everyday life. One of the things I loved most was how the school combined language learning with cultural activities. We tried traditional things like calligraphy and local festivals and teachers always explained the cultural meaning behind what we were doing. It made learning the language feel much more connected to real life in Japan. Sapporo is also an amazing place if you enjoy winter sports. During the winter I went skiing and snowboarding several times. The powder snow in Hokkaido is incredible!!! The atmosphere at Meiji Academy was really friendly and international. It helped a lot for an introvert nerdy like me to make friends from many different countries while practicing Japanese together. Between the engaging classes, cultural activities I had the chance to experience Hokkaido’s famous winter.

My three months in Hokkaido are nearing towards the end and looking back at my time here I can only say it was life changing. This is my third time in Japan but the first time in Hokkaido. After the comment travel to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and all the spots between I wanted to get off the beaten track and experience the real Japan. Meiji’s program in Sapporo seemed intriguing and really caught my attention. The classes were well structured and the instructors were very passionate and helpful all the time. I loved staying in the share house which helped me as well to make friends with local Japanese students and other international students from Meiji and the other universities studying here. The best part were the activities that were so diverse and included a lot of cultural activities as well as social gatherings informed of karaoke, language exchange and casual dinners with Japanese volunteers and other students. I really miss my time here already and hope to be back soon. Thanks for everything and hope to see everybody else sometime in the future.

I simply loved it. The Japanese lessons were fun with a lot of group practices and focus on communication. The grammar lessons were sometimes a bit intense but a lot of rehearsals and sample sentences practices helped for tricky grammar chapters a lot. I recommend going out of your comfort zone and engaging with Japan is the best solution to improve your Japanese. My fellow classmates were nice and I always hang out with them. I was even able to make friends at some of the language exchange and culturally events that Meiji organized. My recommendation is to stay at the share house as it is very affordable and it helps a lot to not get home sick and also make Japanese friends to practice your Japanese.